Experiments and observations in electricity : With a postscript, containing likewise a variety of new experiements and observations in that branch of philosophy; particularly an enquiry into the cause of the electricity of bodies, and the constitution of the electric matter itself; with notes tending to confirm and illustrate the opinions advanced / By William Henley. Read at the Royal society, Jan. 16 and 23, 1777.

  • Henley, William, -1779.
Date:
1777
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Experiments and observations in electricity : With a postscript, containing likewise a variety of new experiements and observations in that branch of philosophy; particularly an enquiry into the cause of the electricity of bodies, and the constitution of the electric matter itself; with notes tending to confirm and illustrate the opinions advanced / By William Henley. Read at the Royal society, Jan. 16 and 23, 1777. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of polifhed plate glafs being introduced into the circuit, the ends of the wires which compofed the circuit were laid at about an inch and an half from each other upon the furface of the glafs, when the jar above-mentioned . being difcharged, the polifh of the glafs was always torn off in an irregular and deep line, extending from one wire to the other; but if a piece of glafs painted with lamp-black and oil tvere thus introduced into the cir¬ cuit, and the difcharge made as before, not the fmalleft - trace of the electricity could ever be perceived on its fur- face. 5thly, If inftead of the glafs, a flip of writing-paper was introduced into the circuit, it was torn in pieces by the explofion, much of it flying about the room in the form of fine flue or down. 6thlv, A flip of the fame paper, painted with lamp-black and oil, received not the leaft injury, nor fliewed the fmalleft trace of the electri¬ city upon its furface; but the common oiled paper, with- * . «% out lamp-black, was torn confiderably, though not fo much as the paper unoiled(b). When the charge of the jar above-mentioned is made to pafs between the furface \b) Mr. cavallo, who hath fince repeated thefe experiments, finds, that if the paper be very thinly painted with the lamp-black and oil, it will be torn by the explofion; but having tried a piece of the fame that I had ufed in my experiments, he was not able to make the leaft impreffion on it. Lamp-black and tar therefore, on account of the greater tenacity of the latter, and its being equally a non-conducdor, feems to be the nioft proper for the purpofe. .of'